Wolf Parade

by Johnny Loftus Canadian indie pop combo Wolf Parade formed in 2003 in Montreal, where their first show was opening for Arcade Fire. From there Dan Boeckner, Spencer Krug, Hadji Bakara, and Arlen Thompson recorded and self-released a four-song EP, and followed that with a six-song recording in 2004. They eventually gained the attention of Isaac Brock, and the Modest Mouse impresario then brought Wolf Parade to Sub Pop. (Brock's band was also a stylistic touchstone.) In July 2005 the quartet issued a self-titled EP on the label by way of introduction; their debut full-length, Apologies to the Queen Mary, followed in September. It was one of that autumn's more anticipated releases, recorded as it was with Brock's help and released amid a critical flurry for Canadian bands like Broken Social Scene, the Most Serene Republic, and Stars. After considering the title Kissing the Beehive for their follow-up, dismissed for fear of copyright infringement due to a Jonathan Carroll book by the same name, their sophomore record, At Mount Zoomer, arrived in June of 2008.